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The Namaqua National Park is a vast area in the semi-desert of South Africa's Northern Cape. This park is famous for its indigenous flora species, which bloom in spring and attract thousands of visitors to the area. We can create a custom itinerary that includes a visit to the Namaqualand for those interested in viewing this natural phenomenon.
Need Advice?The Namaqua National Park is 495 kilometers from Cape Town in an area near the small town of Kamieskroon. The primary attraction is the wildflowers that bloom during spring.
There are some short nature trails and picnic spots in this area. On a walk in the area, you may encounter the Namaqua speckled padloper - the smallest tortoise in the world. The fauna in the Namaqua National Park is hardy and well adpted to the harsh environment. The park is also home to several antelope species and many bird species.
Although the Namaqua National Park hosts a wide diversity of flora, the Namaqualand Daisy is a favorite among the floral kingdom's visitors. Daisies range from orange and yellow hues to striking white; the daisy grows everywhere in the Namaqualand after good rains.
It is impossible to properly immerse oneself in the floral carpet when looking at it from afar. The various hiking trails are the best way to get close to the flowers that suddenly bloom all over the landscape during spring. Please refrain from making "flower angels," as many previous visitors have done – the vegetation needs to be protected.
Amidst the beautiful flower carpet covering the area in multi-colored magic, giant quiver trees dot the landscape. The giant quiver trees are critically endangered and only occur naturally in a tiny area. One of the reasons it is so endangered is that it falls prey to plant collectors.
The Namaqua National Park is one of the most sought-after floral destinations in the world. Savor the unique nature of this flower utopia and its fascinating inhabitants.
The park is situated on the sparely populated west coast of South Africa. Guests will fly to either Cape Town International Airport or Upington Airport. Most guests will visit the park after visiting other destinations, but if it is your first destination, a charter flight to a private airstrip in Springbok, approximately 70km from the park, is the quickest way to get there.
Namaqualand is almost 500km from Cape Town and 430km from Upington. Most guests prefer driving from Cape Town and stopping at quaint seaside retreats on the west coast en route to the park. The drive from Upington embraces the Kalahari's beauty and the Karoo's northern reaches. When booking with African Sky, we will transport you in a private air-conditioned vehicle.
Late spring and early summer after the winter rainfall occur from May to July; sometimes, the first weeks of August are the best time to visit. Summers in the semi-desert can be scorching, but the park's location next to the Atlantic Ocean and the presence of fog ensures Namaqualand midsummer maximum temperatures average 30 degrees centigrade, much lower inland temperatures that can exceed 40. Winters are mild during the day, but temperatures can drop drastically in the evenings.
Summers in the semi-desert can, however, become extremely hot, but the park's location next to the Atlantic Ocean and the presence of the fog brought in from the coast means that the Namaqualand midsummer maximum temperatures average 30C when compared to the inland 40C. Winters are mild during the day, but temperatures can drop drastically in the evenings.
Namaqua National Park was officially proclaimed in 1999. Conservation in the area started in 1988 when WWF-SA purchased a part of the Skilpad Farm to conserve wildflowers. By 2004, work began on a proposed corridor to the coast. In 2005, negotiations started with De Beers Namaqualand Mine to eventually acquire the Groen-Spoeg River section of the national park by 2008.
The park is named after the Khoikhoi people of the area. "Nama" is the name of the area that they are originally from, and the suffix "qua" means "people." They were Iron Age pastoral herders that replaced the Stone Age San (Bushmen) hunter-gatherers that previously inhabited this area.
The park is home to many smaller mammals, such as rodents, insectivores, hares, cats, and small antelope. The little steenbok, the agile common duiker, and gangs of meerkats occur here. Four-striped grass mice and round-eared elephant shrews constantly run between shrubs.Cunning black-backed jackal survey the surroundings daily, and nocturnal insectivores like bat-eared foxes, aardvarks, aardwolves, and Cape foxes own the night. Chacma baboons occur, and if you visit the coastal section, you may encounter rookeries of the Cape fur seal. Caracal and African wild cats reside here, and Cape mountain leopards move through occasionally traverse the park.
Rodents attract various raptors, such as rock kestrels, black-shouldered kites, black harriers, and many more. Desert birds, like the cinnamon-breasted warbler, attract birders from far and wide. Reptiles are plentiful, and the protection of angulate tortoises and speckled padloper is a top priority.
Namaqualand is famed for being a biodiversity hotspot with the largest concentration of succulents in the world. It is a semi-desert with vegetation belonging to the succulent Karoo biome, north-western mountain renosterveld, and Namaqualand broken veld. The area has undulating plains extending to the Kamiesberg Range mountains. When the flowers bloom in a wide array of colors in spring, the plains seem even to put the majestic mountains to shame.
The succulent Karoo biome for which the area is known can be divided into the strandveld succulent Karoo, lowland succulent Karoo, and succulent upland Karoo. Unfortunately, a tiny percentage of this biome is formally protected.
Namaqualand is synonymous with flowers. After the annual winter rains, the usually arid Namaqualand transforms into a magical wonderland as a mass of flowers blossom. Carpets of orange, yellow, and purple flowers cover the expanse. The most popular activity is walking or driving around with a "Wow" erupting every few minutes. The circular drive is excellent for flower viewing and offers scenic viewpoints along the way. If you prefer to walk, the Silver Sands Trail is for you; here, hikers experience both oceanic and floral views.
The park offers a multitude of other attractions and activities. The area is well-known for its excellent mountain biking terrain and birding opportunities. Guests can also drive through the park in search of the unique animals that reside in the area; the speckled padloper (the world's smallest tortoise) and the angulate tortoise are endemic to the area. Various 4x4 eco-routes exist, and opportunities for landscape and wildlife photographers and cinematographers are endless.
